How to Effectively Child Proof Your Home Office

Guest Blogger #689, Entry #1631, September 24, 2012

Working from home can be a very enjoyable experience. Home offices are financially beneficial, they don’t require traveling and they save you from working a nine to five. However, when you introduce a small child or baby into the environment, there are suddenly a lot of hazards that you need to be concerned about. Babies are known for having curious senses. They want to touch, taste and see everything. This type of behavior could potentially be dangerous around your office equipment. Just like you would baby proof other rooms in your home, it’s important that you baby proof the home office.

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1) Store Equipment out of Reach

By storing your equipment out of reach, your child won’t be able to access it. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to be neglectful and keep things at floor level. Anything heavy or potentially dangerous should be kept well away from curious babies.

2) Use Tie Wraps for Cords

Babies have a natural fascination and curiosity with cords. They will chew them, pull them and even carry them away if you’re not careful. By using tie wraps to carefully position computer and other equipment cords out of reach, they will no longer pose a problem.

3) Reduce Office Clutter

Let’s face it, very few of us are so organized that we aren’t subjective to office clutter. You can store items like paper clips, staples, scissors and other small items in a drawer where they are safe from prying hands. It may even be a good idea to lock the drawer. These items are definite choking hazards for a small child and are best kept safe and secure.

4) Secure Trash Can

Babies seem to naturally gravitate toward trash. It’s one of the easiest things for a child to get their hands on. By purchasing a large trash can, it should be too tall for a small child to reach and tip over. Placing a weight in the bottom is another precautionary measure to ensure it won’t easily tip over. Make sure the weight is heavy enough to where there is no possibility of this, as the weight itself could be a potential risk if you aren’t careful.

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5) Electric Outlets

Uncovered electric outlets are a definite safety hazard for a child. Make sure that you cover unused outlets to prevent your child from sticking an object or finger inside. Outlets can be one of the more serious dangers for babies in home offices.

6) Buttons to Equipment

Power buttons or other operational buttons are huge temptations for a baby. They’re often illuminated green or red, and that’s something no baby can resist. If you don’t want your computer turning off just before you save an important document, make sure these buttons are unreachable. This includes your computer, printer, cable modem and other office related equipment.

Charles Henry often works in his home office when working for RentersInsurance.net a company that provides cheap rental insurance for people.

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